La Scena Musicale CD Review: CAROLO
Justin Bernard
Amanda Keesmat, artistic director of the Space Time Continuo ensemble, admits that it was no piece of cake to get this album done, yet the end result is nothing short of marvelous. Overshadowed by the health regulations ensuing from the pandemic, the recording session at Concordia University’s Oscar Peterson Concert Hall had to be very close miked, with participants obliged to distance themselves from each other. But there was an upside, in that the instruments were more isolated, which then allowed for a better control over volume levels and increased flexibility in terms of editing and mixing. The result is a most interesting one to the ears, as if one were on stage right in the middle of the action.
Baroque music lovers will surely be pleased by this, or anyone moved to the tune of warm and resonant cello sounds, or deep-toned bassoons for that matter. One quibble with this gem of a record: the composer is simply called Mister Carolo, with not a shred of informtion about him provided in the booklet. But we can at least find some solace in the fact that his music is now available to us.